Memory feeds imagination
by nici's anatomy
Summary: Things aren’t always as they seem and sometimes we need a little reminder of the past to be able to survive the present. Tim, Jethro - Spoiler for season 6!


**Title:** Memory feeds imagination**  
Author: **nicis_anatomy**  
Word Count:** 1000**  
Pairing or Featured Characters:** Tim, Gibbs, Jenny**  
Genre:** Gen**  
Rating: **G**  
Warnings and/or Spoilers:** Spoiler for 6.01 "Last man standing"**  
Author's Notes:** This plotbunny was sitting on my blanket last night haunting me all night, until I finally found some time to write the story.**  
Summary:** Things aren't always as they seem and sometimes we need a little reminder of the past to be able to survive the present. - written for challenge #18 "Books" at lj's ncis1000words**  
Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. If I would Season 5 would have ended different.

~*~*~*~*

The Bullpen was quiet, it was late and everyone had left. Gibbs had been the last who made it to the elevator about an hour ago, giving Tim a curious glance, because the young agent was still working. Truth was Tim wasn't actually working. Deep in thoughts he'd stared at the screen in front of him, pretending to work and right after the elevator doors had closed Tim had leant back on his chair, reviewing last week's events.  
His sister has been accused of murder; he had nearly lost his job protecting her, and to make things even worse, his colleagues had found out about his little secret.  
It had never been Tim's intention to keep his writing a secret and he'd urged for some acknowledgement, but the way things had turned out, he now wished they would've never learned about "Deep Six" at all.  
As expected, Tony and Ziva were making fun of him, quoting every scene their alter-egos were mentioned it. Abby was thrilled, but didn't like the name he'd given them. Maybe they were right and it hadn't been fair to use names so close to theirs, but since he was using a pen name to publish his work, he'd been sure no-one would ever notice the similarity.  
Now, Tim wished he'd chosen names that weren't so obvious.  
Stretching his arms and legs, he glanced over at Gibbs's desk, still not sure how his boss felt about the book. As usual, Gibbs hadn't said much, but given his looks and the bad mood he'd been in every time someone had mentioned the book Tim could tell he wasn't that thrilled at all. And as it seemed there was another person who felt the same way; a person he hadn't even mentioned in his novel.  
She hadn't said anything, but he'd talked to Cynthia earlier today and the assistant had told him the Director seemed sad that she wasn't mentioned. She had been cryptic about it, but Cynthia was sure that the lack of attention was bothering her. Tim felt sorry about that and after what had happened with Sarah and the way he'd behaved he felt the need to make up for that.

With the intention to please Director Shepard, Tim took some paper and a pen, and started to take notes.

_1__8 month later…_

Things hadn't turned out quite the way they all had expected it. Tragic deaths, a new Director and different assignments had split up the team. Ziva was back in Israel, working for Mossad; Tony had become an Agent Afloat and Tim was transferred to Cyber crime. It wasn't that he was unsatisfied since he now was with his people, who shared the same passion.  
But he missed his team and as strange as it seemed he even missed Tony's pranks. He missed his old life, the family they'd once been. The only constant in his life was Abby, he met occasionally for lunch. And it was Abby's fault that Tim was now standing at Gibbs's empty desk on an early Tuesday morning.  
Gibbs was nowhere to be seen, for what Tim was grateful. He was still unsure if he was doing the right thing, but Abby had finally convinced yesterday over lunch that the time was right and Gibbs could use something to cheer him up. Problem was, Tim wasn't sure that the envelope wouldn't make things only worse.  
"This is all your fault, Abs," he murmured, hesitating one last time, before he put the envelope on Gibbs's desk.

It wasn't long after Tim had left that Gibbs entered the bullpen, coffee in hand, but not as enthusiastic as he used to be in the past.  
Things had changed and none of them for the better. His new team was a bunch of idiots, Vance as the new Director was a pain in the ass, and although he wouldn't admit it he missed Jenny, her stubbornness, the way they used to fight, knowing nothing would chance between them afterwards.  
Sitting down, Gibbs noticed the envelope that hadn't been there when he had left last night.  
Inside he found a literature magazine and a short note.  
'I didn't fail, boss. I just couldn't do it.' he read, recognizing McGee's handwriting.  
Gibbs put down the note and opened the magazine where a yellow post-it was marking a column.

'_Thom E. Gemcity – __Just another One-Hit-Wonder?'_

Gibbs skimmed over the text, realizing that the author was even worse than everything DiNozzo had ever called McGee. The urge to call that guy to tell him that McGee had written another novel that had caused a murder, was strong, but the papers that fell out of the magazine as soon as Gibbs picked it up, made him stop.

"_Family Portrait_" -Draft-_  
by Thom E. Gemcity_

_The day his life changed __completely had been the worst day in Special Agent Tibbs's life. Certain, things couldn't get worse, a ghost of his past showed up out of nowhere, proving him wrong.  
Penny Shepherd, Tibbs's former partner__ – and his new boss…  
U__pset and angry at first, they soon learned Penny wasn't only the new Director, but also a beautiful, red-haired and intelligent woman who should soon become part of their family. _

_[…]_

_She was soon respected and loved by anyone__, treated as one of their own. They knew that Penny would give her life for them without hesitation and that they would return the favour in an instant. _

_[…]_

_No-one ever solved the mystery of Penny's and Tibbs's past relationship but they knew that whatever it was that had once connected them was still there; until the very end…_

_[…] _

_Penny died protecting the people she cared the most about, and although life went on afterwards, although they __had to split up, they never actually were alone.  
The memor__ies of their past, of what they had achieved, what they had won and lost kept them together; united even when they were apart.  
People may die, but memories will keep them alive and unforgettable. Forever._

**- The End -**


End file.
